an X style life
by AerynPalmer
Summary: Time's passed since the last stand...Storm is headmaster of the Xavier Institute, Dr.McCoy's come back to the school. Bobby, Rogue and Peter are teachers. Everything seems peaceful, but then again weather can change.
1. Scene 1

**Scene 1**

**Xavier Institute**

The bus engine roared to life as the tail pipe spurted out exhaust. A warm breeze tugged a few strands of hair loose from Rogue's ponytail. She tucked them behind her ear.

"Rogue!" Kitty called out of breath as she ran over to the side of the bus where Rogue was standing.

"Jason can't come."

"Is he alright?" The alright in her voice held a faint southern accent.

"Dr. McCoy's got him, something about shell fish, cherries and expired milk."

Rogue wrinkled her nose and grimaced.

"I know, exactly!" Kitty mimicked her face.

"So we've got an extra seat. Ok, that settled let's get going before we hit all of the bad traffic." Called an annoyed voice, half muffled by the cigar dangling from his lips.

"Logan," Storm smiled, as she led a flock of teenage children and motioned for them to get onto the bus, "You're going to New York City, there is always traffic."

The man just frowned, grinding his teeth into the cigar.

Kitty hopped on the bus, clipboard in hand, as she counted off tiny figures squirming in their seats.

"Now don't let them get too rowdy, this is an art field trip after all." Storm smiled and walked over to the bus entrance.

Logan sat in the driver's seat pounding his hands against the steering wheel impatiently.

"Logan," Storm said, "Remember you're a teacher, so act like one."

He snorted.

"Let's go kid!" Logan shouted.

Rouge smiled, "I'll see you in four days."

She gave Bobby a light kiss, and turned to walk to the bus when he grabbed her arm, "Be careful."

"Of course," her smile broadened and he released her arm.

"And Logan," Storm called after Rogue had entered the bus, "remember that there are speed limits when driving a school bus."

He slammed the door in her face.


	2. Scene 2

**Scene 2**

**New York City Street**

"Hey," Rogue said as Logan handed her an ice cream cone, "Thanks for doing this."

"It's just ice cream kid."

She smiled, "No, chaperoning, coming on the trip with us."

"Don't mention it." He paused as they continued their walk down 54th street, the sun was setting and it cast deep shadows along the sides of the buildings and across the sidewalks "you know I was professor of art once."

"Oh yea?" she said, her eyes lighting up.

Logan laughed, "Yea but I didn't get to bring kids to MOMA."

"It's the new generation Logan, you have to do fun stuff, not just hand them a bunch of crayons and paper."

He laughed, "Yea well, you're turning out to be a much better teacher. You bring kids to New York City to look at art stuff and I" he paused, lowering the tone of his voice, almost remorsefully, "bring kids to Boston to get shot at by police."

"You did the best you could." Rogue said, not sure exactly what her words were meant to mean.

They walked the next block in silence.

"So," Rogue said, "do you think we should get back to Kitty?"

"I think the squirt can handle her self." Logan said, turning right down an alley.

"Logan?" Rogue questioned, hesitant to follow him.

"Well, just in case, this'll be a short cut back."

Rogue shrugged, still hesitant, she fallowed him into the alley.

"Don't worry kid, I'll protect you." She smiled.

**Hotel Room Manhattan **

"Hey Kitty," said a boy with glasses, he blinked and the television changed channels.

"Hey, I was watching that," she protested.

"Sorry," he blinked again and changed it back.

"Thanks," she said, "so why aren't you in your room reading like everyone else? I hear Professor Rogue is going to give you all a test when you get back."

The boy didn't respond, just blinked.

The television changed and a woman with quaffed hair in a navy suit was talking, a picture of the Capitol Building was projected next to her.

"_It's been six months since the Mutant Attack on Alcatraz. But those involved still remember the horrors that took place. None of those responsible for the attack has been captured. But there is a continuing hunt for the mutant called Magneto. Senator Kelly's replacement, Senator Abrams has recently proposed a bill, much like his predecessor's mutant registration act. Which, he says would enable the government to more effectively track the mutants responsible for the attacks. All mutants whose abilities were evident during the time of attack would be required to register themselves, the list of person and their ability would be reviewed by government officials and checked against statements made by the surviving service men."_

The screen switched to show Senator Abrams.

"_Oh course, this list would be top secret. Mutant's identities would be kept safe from public knowledge. With only a handful of government officials knowing who is who in the mutant world."_

The screen switched back to the woman reporter.

"_In other news, a tornado ripped through Walker County in Texas today…"_

The boy blinked and Kitty's show returned. She looked at him, face paling with her lips taut.

"Who else knows about this?"

"No one." The boy answered. "My room mate is asleep."

"Ok," she said, rising and switching off the television, "Tell everyone to pack their things, not frantically or anything, don't panic everyone; just say Storm called and we have to leave early. Tell everyone to just pack and stay in their rooms until I say so ok?"

The boy nodded, "they wouldn't really approve a bill like that right?' he asked.

Kitty smiled; trying on her best reassuring face, "No, now go tell the others to do what I said ok?"

He nodded again and rushed out her door. Kitty collapsed on her bed rubbing her temples. Logan and Rogue didn't have a cell phone, she didn't want to call Storm just yet, and she didn't want to call anyone at the mansion. They were all perfectly safe, their was no need to worry anyone. No one in the hotel even knew they were mutants. But her hands wouldn't stop shaking. She walked to her window, looking up and down the streets in view.

"Fuck," she muttered, "where are they?"

**Somewhere in Manhattan**

"Logan," Rogue said hopping over a puddle of some sort of foul smiling liquid, "I think we're lost."

"Since when do back alleys curve," he said, more to himself than Rogue, and turned right.

She sighed, pulling the deep green jacket tighter around her shivering frame. They had been walking for twenty minutes, through alleys, down a deserted street, back through alleys. She was lost in her thoughts, drifting back to the hotel. It was dark, Kitty was alone with thirteen kids in a swanky hotel; she shivered.

"Ok kid, I think we're out." Logan said as they emerged to dimly lit street.

"Now if we can just find our hotel we'll be all set." Sarcasm rolled off her tongue; Logan smirked.

He placed a cigar in his mouth, running his hands through his pockets and sighed. No lighter.

"Your prize?" Rogue joked.

"Hey," he said holding the cigar between his fingers, pointing at her, "I found our way out."

"Yea, after you got us lost in the first place." Rogue retorted.

"Hey kid…" Logan started, but stopped as a loud bang came from the alley they were walking next to. They stopped.

"Logan," Rogue whispered, subconsciously moving closer to him.

"Fuckin' mutant," the voice was loud and deep, another bang, "You all should'a been exterminated!"

Another bang, and then a noise echoed out to the street. The noise that reached them wasn't a whimper, or a scream, it just sounded like muffled pain. Rogue shivered again.

"Logan," Rogue said louder this time, her eye's going wide; his claws were out and he was walking towards the alley.

"Stay here kid." He said, not turning around, he was like a commander and she was just a foot soldier, and the battle was about to begin.

"Hey!" Logan shouted.

The alley smelled like Chinese food gone sour. There were a few dumpsters and then a grimy green paint flaking door. There was a body coughing, bleeding badly as far as he could see, it was lying on the ground. Logan couldn't see his face.

A man, dressed in a brown hooded sweatshirt and denims walked over, "Can we help you, friend." The man spat the words out, than literally spat on the ground.

The bleeding body on the ground went into another fit of coughing, reaching his hand into his denims pocket. The man standing closest hit him over the back with the crow bar.

"Hey Terry," said the man in the sweatshirt, "I think we've got a deaf one on our hands."

He brought his knuckles together, cracking each one, as the other man, Terry, walked next to him. Leaving the body to squirm in pain.

"This doesn't concern you, get the fuck outta here man." The guy spat, his friend knuckles was chuckling.

Logan sighed, bringing his claws in, he walked towards them. Flexing his fists, he didn't need claws to deal with them.

Three steps away the thugs burst into flames. Screams erupted, and then only the roar of fire could be heard.

The flames stopped, Logan looked over to the now standing figure, shock plastered on his face.

"Of all the places," Logan mumbled.

The fire stopped, the figure stumbled and fell back down.

"Logan," Rogue shouted, running towards him.

"Damn it, I told you to stay where you were." He said loudly.

"I heard voices, and then all I saw was fire, are you alright?" She asked, eyes scanning the tiny piles that used to be the attackers. Her nose twisted in disgust.

"What happened?"

"Why don't you ask him." Logan said flatly, turning and walking out of the alley.

Rogue turned and saw the body laying limply, his face now illuminated by the tiny lamp fashioned to the wall beside the green door.

"Logan it's…"

"I know who it is."

"We can't just leave him." She said, pleading.

"Watch me." He said defiantly.

"He's hurt."

Logan stopped, turned around and raised his arms questioningly. "What do you want me to do about it…knowing him," he motioned to the body, "he probably deserved what he got."

"Logan," Rogue said persistently, "I know just he looks really bad."

Logan sighed, long and tired, "What do you want to do?"


	3. Scene 3

**Scene 3**

**Hotel Room in Manhattan**

"He can't stay here," Logan was protesting.

"He's hurt, he doesn't have tah stay for a while, just for tonight," Rogue looked over at the limp form on her hotel room bed.

She hadn't cleaned him up any; just thrown a few towels down on the bed before Logan, less than gently, put him on it.

Rogue was standing in the corner of the tiny room with Logan, who was mashing on a cigar. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and took a breath.

"I'm not sayin' he should…I mean, he should apologi…I mean, just," she stammered as Logan's eyes bore into her own, "Just maybe there was a reason he left."

It was a weak finish to an even weaker argument. She had tried before on Bobby, when he had come back with the one on one tale of fire and ice; ice coming out victorious. He had told her late one night, when the shadows had covered his face so Rogue couldn't see his eyes, how everything had suddenly turned for the worst. He told her how he was leaving Alcatraz, but couldn't bring himself to leave John, his voice had choked up, he had sighed after that, taking a break, and Rogue hadn't pushed him to continue.

Bobby explained how, "John was a friend, one of my oldest, I couldn't just leave him…" he'd paused again. "Jean she…she wasn't herself." Rogue just sat next to him, nodded, she squeezed his hand for support.

"Everything was just, vaporizing, it was just gone, I couldn't just leave him." Bobby finished. He had carried John out of the battle zone. But that was it, in Rogue's mind, maybe not to be vaporized, or as Storm had put it, dissolved, but he left him when they got over the bridge.

Bobby said he didn't look bad; he was just unconscious. Rogue had shrugged. She was biased about John since that day at Bobby's house in Boston; the day she put out fire. The fire he had started.

"Why are you defending him?" Logan sounded hurt and all she could do was shrug.

They were standing close to the door, but just far enough so that when Kitty came bounding in, she missed them, but just barely.

"Where have you been?" she shouted.

Logan raised an eyebrow; Rogue tried her hand at shushing the girl.

Kitty looked confused, "What? I have to tell you…" Her voice trailed off as her eyes discovered the body in the bed.

"That's not…"

"Oh," Logan said harshly, "It is."

"What is he doing here?" Kitty spat viciously.

"Ask Rogue," Logan responded, almost as fierce.

Rogue glared at Logan, than turned her attention to Kitty.

"Nevahmind him, what where you going to say?" She tried to save the moment, there was no point in saving someone just to have him permanently fazed halfway through a wall and than sliced into bits.

"But that's…"

"Yeah, we know," Rogue was getting impatient, "Kitty what's the mattah?'

"Oh," Kitty said, still edgy, "Other than that…" she motioned to the bed, "Thing being here?"

"Yeah Kitty," Logan said, "other than him."

"Ok well, it's kind of a story, so I'll just stick to the facts."

"We're all ears," Logan said, tossing the mangled cigar in the waste bin.

Ten minutes later Logan was leaning against the wall, Rogue was sitting next to Kitty nervously twisting one of the rings on her finger. Kitty had covered all the details, and then some. She had even given her opinion that it wouldn't be a big deal if they stayed, maybe.

"I mean, no one knows we're mutants." She said encouragingly.

Rogue sighed, leaning back on her arms, "I don't know, this is a pretty big thing, and you say none of the others know about this?"

"Nope," Kitty said, throwing her hands up, "except for the kid who showed it to me."

"I'm gonna have to go with going," Wolverine spoke up, "The kids are packed, there's no reason we can't leave early tomorrow, just to be on the safe side." He shrugged.

Rogue smiled jokingly, "The safe side?"

"I'm the driver, so what I say goes, got it." He finished defensively, pushing himself off the wall and moving towards the door.

"Fine," Rogue said, she threw up her hands than stood up.

"Kitty, could yah tell everyone we're leaving early tomorrow then?" Rogue asked, "I've gotta deal with," she motioned towards the bed, "This."

Kitty gave her a cautious look than shrugged, "Sure."

Logan held the door open and Kitty scooted out.

"Kid," he said, turning back to face Rogue, "Just be careful." He walked out.

The door clicked shut and Rogue walked over to the bed.

"That must happen a lot now huh," the voice coughed and continued, "people telling you to be careful, now that you're human and all."

Rogue frowned.


	4. Scene 4

**Scene 4 Hotel Room in Manhattan**

Rouge's face was calm and her demeanor composed as she leaned slowly closer to John. Her hand shot from her side quickly and slapped his face.

He gingerly touched the red handprint on his face, eyes wide with shock.

"You left us." Rouge said sadly. And walked quickly into the bathroom around the corner.

John sat in bed, stunned, rubbing the side of his face.

There was a knock at the door two minutes later and Rouge exited the bathroom with a damp towel in one hand, focusing her eyes on the door and not the bed. She checked the peephole, sighing, she opened the door just enough for Logan to fit through.

"Here," He scowled as he handed her the bus's tiny first aid kit, "I thought you might want this."

"Thanks." She says quietly averting her eyes from his gaze.

Moving almost guiltily towards the bed she kneeled, pressing the cool damp cloth against John's torn face.

He moved his hand on top of hers, keeping it pressed against his cheek for a few seconds longer than she'd planned.

Logan cleared his throat. "I got a call from Storm."

Rogue moved her hand quickly, letting John hold the towel himself. She looked at Logan, panic set deep in her features.

"Somethin's happened?" She said as more of a statement than a question.

"No," He leaned against the wall. "She got a call from a friend who was staying in D.C., he's flying back first thing tomorrow. She said it'd be good if we beat him back to the mansion. He's got some important information about all this."

Rouge nodded. "Tell the kids to set their alarm for leaving early."

"Eh, kid, not to overstep my bus driver bounds, but," he paused, making sure she was fully hearing him and not distracted by the torn body in her bed shifting uncomfortably.

"I think we should just let 'em sleep for now. They've already been told twice we have to leave early. It's best we don't panic them with urgency." He held up his hands like a general who had stated the end all attack for a battle. Logan never was one for pure comfort without a military feel.

Rogue nodded again and meekly voiced an, "ok," her eyes focusing on the blank television screen to her right.

"Kid?" Logan began, faltering on what exactly he should say next.

"It's fine, really, we got to New York, at least they got to see the museum before all of this happened." She kept her eyes on the television.

Logan opened his mouth, again searching for some comfort and wisdom he was all too uncomfortable with to correctly bestow on her when she spoke again.

"Logan," She said her voice sounding distant and slightly frustrated, "If they pass this bill, my name will be on that list. Bobby's name, your name, everyone we know will be listed like some item on a grocery list."

Logan tensed. John opened his eyes, more keen to listen to the conversation going on around him. Rogue continued.

"Bobby was at Alcatraz and you and Kitty, Poitr, Storm, Dr. McCoy…"

"Rogue," Logan had found his voice, and his cigar, which was twisting through his tense fingers, "I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you. " he paused, "Or anyone in the mansion."

She looked away from the screen, up into his eyes, guilt deep in her eyes.

"But that's just it," she paused, her mouth opening before the words came out, "I wasn't at Alcatraz, they won't want me, they'll just want everyone else."

A few seconds, that felt like years, passed through the room. John's bloodied brow was furrowed in confusion. Rogue seemed uncharacteristically on the verge of tears. Logan spoke, his tone low and solid.

"If anything happens, I'll protect you."

He turned and walked towards the door. With his back turned and his hand on the handle he paused, "If you don't fix that kid up soon he'll bleed through the towels and ruin your sheets."

And then he was gone.

Rogue let her eyes hang on the desolate door before a wave of deep throated hacking brought her back to reality.

She moved methodically through the first aid kit, not making eye contact with John, who was intently watching her.

She wrapped the gash on his arm. Bandaged the one on his shoulder and cleaned the cut above his left eye. She didn't look him in the eye the entire time, and he didn't stop watching her.

She started to clean the gash on his hand.

"Whose room is this?" He asked.

"Mine." She answered just as business like.

He handed her the gauze. She placed the cotton ball in the bin and took it.

"Thanks." She said quietly.

He smirked knowing she wouldn't look up and notice it dangling on the corner of his lips.

"You can stay here tonight, we leave tomorrow morning, early." She tied the bandage gently.

"Why." He asked blankly, eyes still fixed on her.

Her fingers clicked the kit shut and her eyes darted to his.

"Uhm, why…" she faltered, her mind kicking its self for the faltering, "Am I letting you…."

"Why would the government put your name on a list?" He asked, briskly cutting her off.

"Uh, oh." She furrowed her brow, "It's on the news, here."

She opened the drawer beside the bed and pressed the little red button on the clicker. An instant later the television was humming with the news. She sat awkwardly beside the bed, beside John, as a story about a house fire in Brooklyn played across the screen. And then the Senator's face came up.

The story played on the screen for no more than five minutes, but it felt like hours to Rogue. Her pulse increasing as the uncertainty of her situation played out over and over again in her mind.

John didn't have fans at the school, he didn't have friends, it left him an outsider.

Rogue had friends and she dared to consider herself having a few fans. But she was an outsider; there was no getting around that. From the moment she set foot in the school it was apparent, she had found people who could understand feeling abandoned by society, by their family, but no one knew what it felt like to be truly cut off from everything living. She could never find solace in another living thing like the others.

Was that why she helped him? She didn't know. She knew she should hate him. He tried to kill Bobby.

John wasn't, in Rogue's eye, emotionally attached to anyone. Rogue knew what that was like. But she also knew what it was like to find people, she knew how care could grow and how strong the desire to keep that connection was. But she knew what it was like to need to do something, even if the people you cared about didn't agree with that something.

John's coughing brought Rogue out of her thoughts. She kicked herself again, this time for letting her mind ramble. What use was there to try and justify her helping an old friend?

She stood. Retrieving a glass from the hotel tray she filled it with tap water in the sink. John sank back down, taking the glass and drinking the water greedily, carelessly letting the overflow dribble down his cheeks to be sopped up by the towels.

Rogue clicked off the news, Senator Abrams was long gone from the screen.

John shut his eyes. His jaw clenched and one hand on his old zippo lighter. The tin was dented and scratched but you could still see the shark clearly.

"You're welcome," Rogue said, hurt by the lack of appreciation for her effort and the lack of an explanation she was hoping for.

That explanation had been one of the things she'd mentioned to Bobby, quietly late at night when the whole mansion seemed to be asleep.

She'd say, "Maybe there was some bigger reason for him leaving us."

And then Bobby would sigh and respond, "Maybe."

And that would be the whole of it.

She gathered the spare blanket from the closet and took the other pillow off the bed. Stretching out on the firm ground her eyes drifted shut and her mind off into a deep and uneasy slumber.


	5. Scene 5

Scene 5 the Journey Back to the Mansion

**Scene 5 the Journey Back to the Mansion.**

"I understand your policy but an emergency has happened at our school and we won't be staying the two extra days. So we won't be paying for those two days." Kitty shouted angrily at the receptionist.

"It's our policy mam, we can't change it. You have to pay." The receptionist responded curtly.

"Listen, it is an EMERGENCY. You do know what that is don't you?" Kitty retorted.

Rogue came down the hotel elevator to find Kitty and the receptionist in a heated argument. Logan was just outside by the bus trying, somewhat unsuccessfully to wrangle the kids and their luggage onto the bus.

Rogue smirked.

"Hey kid." He greeted.

"Hey." She looked around, confused.

"They're all asking why we're leaving early." Logan continued, "I told them they get an extra lap in gym each time someone asks again." He smirked, pleased at his teaching skills.

"Where's John?" Rogue asked.

"Pyro? I thought he was still in your room." Logan frowned.

"No, I woke up this morning and he was gone."

"Huh." Logan sniffed the air nonchalantly.

"What is it?" Rogue asked.

"Watch the bus."

" Logan? What is it?"

Logan walked briskly down the block, melding with the crowds of spring tourists.

"No I will not lower my voice this is robbery!" Kitty shouted. All the kids sitting on the curb turned to look inside at reception where their part time professor was almost at blows with a blonde woman named Cindy.

"Ok," Rogue threw a smile on her face, "Everyone on the bus while we wait for Professor Logan and Professor Kitty."

The kids filed into their seat warily watching reception. Rogue was counting heads while trying her best to scan the distant crowd for a familiar face or two.

Two blocks away from the bus Logan crossed the street then took a left through a door into a tiny apartment hallway. He was moving fast. Up the stairs two flights first door on the right. He shoved his foot just as it was about to close. Opening the door slowly he found Pyro, perched and ready for an attack.

"What's the matter?" Logan asked, "Jumpy?"

Pyro sneered. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to get you." He said, tucking his hands into his pockets.

Pyro put his lighter away. "And where are you gonna take me?"

"This place is a shit hole." He said abruptly.

"Well we can't all live in mansions." Pyro retorted.

"I know." Logan said.

Pyro looked him up and down and then gingerly took a seat on the torn couch.

"Where's Magneto?" Logan asked. Sitting on a turned over crate.

Pyro just glared. "No idea, he disappeared."

"Mystique?" Logan couldn't hide the distain in his voice.

"Magneto ditched her a while back, before Alcatraz. She's human now yah know. Not one of us, so we had to leave her." Pyro massaged his shoulder.

"Ironic."

"What is?" He asked.

"Magneto's human now too, or didn't you hear?" Logan said, shifting.

Pyro gapped. He didn't know.

"I woke up on a park bench. Everyone was gone and everything was destroyed." He started to fiddle with the lighter in his pocket nervously.

Logan studied him, "Any idea how you got there?"

"Nope." Pyro looked up, cold and harsh.

"Look kid," Logan sighed, "I followed you this morning only 'cause of a phone call I got. I thought you might be interested."

Pyro snorted, "Why's that?"

"It's about fire."

At the bus Rogue sat patiently on the steps by the driver's seat. It had been almost half an hour since Logan had run off into the crowd. Kitty had finally finished with reception, only paying one of the two-missed night's fees.

"Any sight of him?" Kitty asked, popping her head out of the bus.

Rogue had gotten up and was now scanning the crowd.

"Nope." She responded, "Wait…"

Logan was walking briskly towards the bus. He's always brisk Rogue thought. He was trailed by a hooded figure with a dark duffle bag.

"Is that who I think it is?" Kitty asked shocked.

Rogue just stared, open mouthed.

"Kitty," Logan told her when he finally standing next to the bus door, "John here is going to take that extra seat we have."

"Are you serious?" She asked, still gawking at the hooded figure.

"Yea, that's why I said it."

Kitty sighed and got back on the bus.

John tossed his duffle under the bus and followed Kitty. Wordlessly.

Logan shut the luggage container. "You ok with this kid?" He asked.

"Do I have a choice?" She responded.

Logan shrugged.

"Yesterday you wanted to leave him tah die in an alley." She said, confused.

"That was yesterday." He was stone faced. "Now let's get going before these kids commit mutiny, and the school sends out a search party.

Rogue nodded. Kitty came back out of the bus, stopping Rogue.

"You found him," She told her accusingly, "You sit with him."

Rogue sighed, and nodded again. Kitty bounded back on the bus, sneering at John as she passed his seat. He eyed Rogue; she looked back. He couldn't read her face, so he shrugged. She looked at her feat as she walked.

A minute later she was seated next to John. He had his headphones on looking out the window as the bus roared to life. Rogue looked from him to the bus's big mirror up front, where Logan was watching her. She laid her head back against the seat and shut her eyes.

"Maybe there was a bigger reason for things," she thought.


End file.
